


The Middle Man

by loeysxdaisies



Series: Downward Spiral [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Badass Baekhyun, M/M, Mentions of Sexual Assault, Protective Chanyeol, explicit use of drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-24 09:18:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16172168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loeysxdaisies/pseuds/loeysxdaisies
Summary: "Why are you so worried?""Because I've never had so much to lose before."





	The Middle Man

**Author's Note:**

> hihi i hope you don't hate me for this uwu

“Hey.”

“Darling, why are you up?” Chanyeol let out a slow string of smoke as he spoke, not turning around. He heard light footsteps behind him on the concrete and a second later Baekhyun was beside him, perched on the railing with a few inches of space between them.

“Why are you?” Baekhyun asked instead. He leaned over the railing to see what Chanyeol was staring emptily at, eyes sweeping over the pedestrians stumbling around in the darkness and the cars racing along the street, headlights bright. “I didn’t know you smoked.”

“Just sometimes.” Chanyeol tapped his cigarette against the metal rail, ridding it of the excess ash before raising it to his lips again. He took a drag and spoke as the smoke escaped. “When I’m stressed.”

“Was it the meeting?” Baekhyun asked softly, eyes on a group of five or so people—teenagers probably—stumbling along the sidewalk, leaning on each other to stay upright. “Are you mad at me?”

Chanyeol let out an emotionless chuckle and shook his head, raising it to look instead at the high-rise building just across the street from them. “I couldn’t be mad at you even if I wanted to be.”

Baekhyun nodded and shifted towards Chanyeol, cutting the distance between them in half. “It’s about this mission, isn’t it?”

Chanyeol hummed—neither in affirmation or denial, but Baekhyun picked up on his tone easily—they _had_ been together for nearly three years, and they were getting married in seven short months.

“You’re worried.” It wasn’t a question.

“Of _course_ I am.” Chanyeol stabbed the end of the now short cigarette into the railing, putting it out. “I don’t want you doing this.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” Baekhyun wormed his way under Chanyeol’s arm that was nearest to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Not with you, Minseok, Sehun, Jongdae, _and_ Zitao there to keep an eye on me.”

“There’s still a lot we don’t know.” Chanyeol tossed the stub onto the patio table and pulled his arm that was around Baekhyun off the rail to hold his waist, fingers rubbing in light circles over the soft fabric of his t-shirt. “I don’t want to get blindsided. I don’t want you to need me while I’m distracted.”

“You won’t let yourself get distracted.” Baekhyun tapped his chest with a small smile. “Not while I’m involved.” Baekhyun spun out of his grip so he was leaning against the railing, trapped between Chanyeol’s arms which were now both back on the rail.

“You’ll probably be drugged.” Chanyeol pressed himself flat against Baekhyun’s back, molding himself as close as he could and burying his nose in the crook of Baekhyun’s neck, breathing in and speaking softly onto the sensitive skin. “You’ll lose control of yourself and your ability to think straight and make decisions, and you won’t be able to say no to anything.”

“’Yeol.”

“He’s going to pull you into a back room and he’s probably going to touch you, try and get you to take your clothes off because these guys always fuck their new slaves before they send them off and you won’t be able to fight back or say no.”

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun turned his head to the side and tangled his hand in Chanyeol’s hair while the other one intertwined on top of his still on the rail. “I know how dangerous this is. I was in that meeting. I’m going to be okay.”

“I know.” Chanyeol raised his head and pressed a light kiss to Baekhyun’s lips. “I know you are.” He kissed him again. “Sometimes I forget how powerful you’ve become.” He leaned his forehead against Baekhyun’s and felt his fiancé rub their noses together.

“I had the best teacher,” Baekhyun whispered back before kissing him again softly. He pulled back and looked back down at the street, both hands crossed over Chanyeol’s which were now wrapped protectively around his waist, his fiancé’s head propped on his shoulder. They stayed outside until the wind picked up and got cooler, when Chanyeol unwound from Baekhyun’s back and took his hand, pulling him back inside.

“Let’s get you back in bed.” Chanyeol murmured softly, taking both of Baekhyun’s hands once he’d closed the balcony door and locked it and pulling his little love towards the bed. “You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

Baekhyun let Chanyeol tuck him into bed, immediately rolling over and burrowing into his side when Chanyeol laid down under the covers on his side. Chanyeol kissed his forehead and then laid his head back against the pillow, sighing and moving it a bit to find the most comfortable spot.

“Chanyeol?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you so worried? _Really?”_ Baekhyun whispered against his chest, one hand splayed flat on it. “I’ve never seen you so worked up for such an easy mission before.”

“That’s because I’ve never had _so much_ to lose before,” Chanyeol admitted softly. Baekhyun pressed tighter into his side—a silent promise.

They would _both_ be fine.

They had to be.

 

* * *

 

“The _instant_ you feel off, you feel like you can’t handle it or something starts going wrong you signal me, okay? Don’t hesitate. I’d rather push this operation back and keep you safe than rush into it and have something happen to you.” Chanyeol squeezed Baekhyun’s hand where it sat in his on his thigh, his other hand expertly maneuvering the car through the late-night traffic of a Friday, right in the center of the downtown club district.

Chanyeol’s car was following Minseok and Sehun’s, with Jongdae and Zitao’s bringing up the rear. Zitao was one of Chanyeol’s best close-combat fighters while Jongdae’s sniper skills were legendary. Baekhyun had a good team behind him—he would be _fine_.

Baekhyun let out a heavy breath when Chanyeol finally parked right next to Minseok, and Jongdae pulled in right after him on the other side.

“Baek, look at me.” Chanyeol tugged on Baekhyun’s hand and grabbed his attention. He cupped his cheek when he finally faced him and leaned in slightly. “You’re _sure_ you can do this?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I’m good, ‘Yeol, I’ve got this.”

“Okay.” The other four men had gotten out of their cars and were waiting patiently for the two of them. Chanyeol drew Baekhyun in for a short kiss. “I love you, Darling.”

Baekhyun offered him a small smile and a short nod. “I love you too.” The nerves were starting to get to him.

They both climbed out of the cars and the men all stood at attention, greeting their boss and Baekhyun.

“Jongin’s already in.” Sehun let Chanyeol know, slipping his phone into his pocket.

Chanyeol nodded once. “Is he doing okay?”

“I—uh, yes, sir.” Sehun stuttered and looked down, and Minseok elbowed him in the side with a teasing glint in his eyes.

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Jongin?”

“No one.” Sehun was quick to shake his head. Chanyeol scoffed.

“’No one’ my ass. He’s the bartender—” Chanyeol explained to Baekhyun, turning to him.

“And Sehun’s boyfriend,” Zitao added, raising his eyebrows smugly and smirking as Sehun blushed deeper.

“—He’s the one who’s going to spin this whole thing into motion. Okay,” Chanyeol pressed a final kiss to his fiancé’s forehead. “Remember, find me when you’re in.”

And with that, Chanyeol walked off with Minseok. Jongdae headed in three minutes later and Zitao was five minutes after that and then, with a last-minute reminder from Sehun, Baekhyun was flashing his ID and pushing into the club.

He took a slow breath just inside, eyes sweeping over the room as he walked over towards the bar. It was smoky—almost so much that he couldn’t breathe, and there were a _lot_ of people. The music was so loud Baekhyun could feel it pounding in his chest. The lights were bright, multi-colored, and spinning, shining on all spaces of the club and washing everyone in blues, reds, purples, greens, and yellows. Baekhyun had a split second of panic and paused, wondering how he was supposed to possibly find one of the guys keeping an eye on him with how overwhelmed his senses were.

A second later someone bumped into his shoulder from the back and Baekhyun stumbled over a couple steps, looking up only to spot Sehun, holding his hands up and apologizing as though they were strangers though his eyes were concerned. That was enough to shock Baekhyun out of his stupor and he waved Sehun off with a smile, assuring him it was an accident and it was fine, and then he was heading off towards the bar.

Sehun didn’t follow him, expertly losing himself in the crowd, but Baekhyun had no doubts that he was still being watched. He was probably being watched by all the guys he was supposed to, and he was able to locate Chanyeol sitting at the bar, a drink in his hands and talking to the bartender—a tall, tanned man that Baekhyun could only assume was Jongin.

“Hey,” Baekhyun sidled up to the counter on Chanyeol’s left, ignoring his fiancé and smiling flirtatiously at the bartender.

“You look like you’re here for a fix.” Jongin tossed the towel over his shoulder and leaned on the bar, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. “What can I get you, sweetheart?”

Baekhyun hummed and cocked his head. “Any recommendations?”

Jongin nodded. “I’ve got _just_ the thing if you’re looking for a bit of fun for the night.”

“It’s been a long week,” Baekhyun fibbed with a sigh, leaning his elbow on the counter and propping his chin in his hand. “I’ll take anything.”

Baekhyun looked away as Jongin expertly threw his drink together, eyes skipping over Chanyeol’s form and scanning over the club. There were a couple staircases on the wall to his right, each leading upstairs to a dark hallway. He craned his head and watched a couple of guys lead a couple other guys and girls who were stumbling and giggling up the stairs, and he made the guess that that’s where he’d end up.

“Here.” He was brought back by Jongin setting a drink in front of him. The drink was light and tinted slightly blue from the spotlights over the bar. A pink straw poked out the side and, after a quick glance up and down the bar, Baekhyun realized that no one else there had a pink straw. Just him.

That must’ve been the key. Jongin just threw Baekhyun right into the belly of the beast.

Just like they’d planned.

“Pink.” Baekhyun mused innocently, stirring the straw. “What did I do to deserve such a color? I haven’t seen many of these in the other drinks.”

“Pinks are _reserved.”_ Jongin began wiping down the counter. “You’re special.”

“I’m honored is what I am.” Baekhyun picked up his drink, raised it in Jongin’s direction, and took a sip. It took all he had not to cringe.

The drink was definitely laced with something. Something that worked fast, if the way Baekhyun’s fingertips were already starting to numb was anything to go by. Jongin cocked his head to the side and Baekhyun forced himself to swallow, and then he nodded and made his way away from the bar.

He accidentally locked eyes with Jongdae who was flirting up a cute little girl at one of the tall tables on the outside of the dance floor who professionally pretended he hadn’t even seen him, returning his attention to the girl. Baekhyun heard Chanyeol strike up another conversation with Jongin the second he left, and he still hadn’t seen Minseok or Zitao and hadn’t spotted Sehun since earlier. But it was okay.

He was fine.

Freaking out a little because someone approached him, but still fine.

Baekhyun had picked up on the way the man’s eyes discreetly looked over his drink before sparking up a conversation and so Baekhyun let himself be flirted up as he kept sipping his drink, putting up appearances, and he could feel the _whatever_ seeping into his system as his vision started blurring and he started swaying a bit.

“Whoa, sweet thing,” the man put his hand on Baekhyun’s hip and squeezed when he lost his balance, even though they were standing still. “You doing okay?”

“Of course,” Baekhyun smiled drunkenly. “I guess my tolerance isn’t what it once was.”

“Why don’t we go lay you down then, hm? There’s got to be an empty room somewhere that you can claim.”

Everything in Baekhyun’s head was screaming _no_ , but he knew that this is what they wanted to happen and so he took a breath, swallowed, and nodded.

“Come on then, darling.” Baekhyun nearly recoiled at that, but instead, his head lolled and he couldn’t deny that, yeah, Chanyeol was right. Baekhyun was in _no_ condition to try and say no or fight this guy off. Every fiber of his body just wanted to lay down and let things happen, and so that’s what he did—he let the man take his glass out of his hand and set it on one of the tables, and then he felt himself get tucked under his arm and led over to the staircases he’d been looking at earlier, feet unsteady though the man’s grip never faltered, steering him up and into the third—fourth?—room on the right.

“I…” Baekhyun panted, though he wasn’t sure when he’d done _so much_ physical exertion that he should be tired. “Lay down?”

“I’ll get you taken care of.” The man whispered, pressing a kiss to Baekhyun’s neck. His hands slipped under his shirt and pushed it and his hoodie up and off in one go, turning him around and then backing him towards the bed on the side wall.

“Why…” Baekhyun’s eyes were on all three of his tops on the floor by the door, weakly grabbing at the man’s arms. He winced as he was lifted and thrown back on the bed, his eyes widening as the man smiled darkly and climbed on top of him. “W-wait—wait—” Baekhyun’s voice was hoarse and shaky, though when he spoke the man’s expression shifted and he cocked his head to the side.

“You’re still—hm. Interesting.” The man reached over to the side table and pulled open the drawer and Baekhyun let out a groan as his head fell back against the bed, his eyes fluttering shut.

He jerked and moaned weakly when he felt something pierce the skin on his forearm, not having the energy to open his eyes. He exhaled shortly when the thing was pulled away and his arm dropped against the bed next to his head—a complete dead weight. Baekhyun was _done for_ , and he forced his eyes open when he felt one hand flat on his waist and the other undoing the button on his jeans.

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun whispered—the man didn’t acknowledge that he’d said anything and roughly pulled his jeans down his legs, throwing them somewhere behind him.

“You’re really beautiful, you know that?” The man sneered, hands forcing Baekhyun’s legs open with a bruising grip. Baekhyun whimpered when the man situated himself between his legs, bottom lip trembling.

“Don’t worry, little one, I’m going to take care of you.” Tears pricked at the edges of Baekhyun’s vision when the man’s fingers dipped under the waistband of his underwear, the other hand cupping his jaw and keeping his head from lolling to the side. “We’re going to have so much fun together.”

“Don’t…” Baekhyun pleaded once more. His eyes fell shut again—he didn’t want to watch. He didn’t want to watch another man kiss him who wasn’t Chanyeol. The man ignored him again and was leaning in when the door was kicked open and he was pulled back off the bed, landing heavily on the floor with an angry cry.

Baekhyun let out a relieved sob and then the bed dipped and warm, familiar hands were gently cupping his cheeks.

“Baekhyun, look at me.” Baekhyun shifted his head to the right, chasing the warmth of the palm on his cheek. A thumb brushed a tear away. That voice sounded familiar. “Hey, come on, Baekhyun, I need you to listen to me.”

“He had more than the drink.” Another voice spoke up from the right side of the bed, the side where the man had reached for the table a few minutes ago. “I don’t know how much was in here, but it was injected straight into the bloodstream.”

 _“Fuck,”_ the thumbs on Baekhyun’s cheeks rubbed in soothing circles. “Baekhyun, Darling, I need you to look at me. It’s Chanyeol, Darling, _please_ look at me.”

Chanyeol.

_Chanyeol._

It took so much effort it hurt, but Baekhyun forced his eyes to open and focused on the Chanyeol in the middle, who smiled thinly when he did. “Hey, Darling, there you go. Hi.”

“You’re late.” Baekhyun slurred, coughing.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Baekhyun blinked a couple times and looked away from Chanyeol to the right. The voice he’d heard was Minseok, who was going through the contents of the drawer quietly and comparing a series of syringes. He looked over when he felt Baekhyun looking at him, though, and smiled warmly.

“Hey, Baekhyun?” Sehun laid a light hand on Baekhyun’s bare shin and drew his attention to him, waiting until his eyes lit up in recognition before speaking. “Hi. I have your pants, I’m going to help you back into them, okay?”

Baekhyun nodded shallowly and focused back on Chanyeol, who still had a hand on either side of Baekhyun’s face and was still stroking it soothingly.

“You did so well.” Chanyeol smiled proudly as Sehun began gently slipping Baekhyun’s pants back on either foot. “We have exactly what we need. Thank you, Darling.”

Baekhyun hummed noncommittedly and swallowed thickly. “My head hurts.” He whispered after a minute, once Chanyeol had helped lift Baekhyun’s hips so Sehun could get his pants all the way up.

“I know it does.” Chanyeol sat Baekhyun up and held him while Sehun put his shirt and hoodie back on him, letting Baekhyun collapse forward on his chest and enveloping him in his arms. “I’m going to get you home now, okay?”

“Okay.” Baekhyun was nothing but dead weight when Chanyeol lifted him in his arms, burying his face in Chanyeol’s chest and closing his eyes again as his fiancé carried him down what must have been a back staircase as the music wasn’t so loud, curling up tighter when he walked outside into the cool air.

Chanyeol pressed a light kiss to the top of Baekhyun’s head and adjusted his grip, and the steadiness of his footsteps nearly lulled Baekhyun to sleep. He whined when he felt Chanyeol lay him in the seat of a car, opening his eyes just in time to see Chanyeol climb in on the other side of the back seat and shut the door before pulling Baekhyun in his lap again.

“Your car…” Baekhyun mumbled, fisting Chanyeol’s jacket in his hand as his fiancé shook his head and kissed his forehead.

“Minseok will drive it back.” Chanyeol ran a hand through his fiancé’s hair. “You’re more important. Sleep, Darling, I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

Baekhyun nodded and situated himself comfortably in Chanyeol’s lap, his fiancé’s hand around his waist and his head on his shoulder and finally let himself do what he’d wanted to since he first had a sip of that drink.

He slept, warm and safe in Chanyeol’s arms.

 

* * *

 

Baekhyun woke up a series of times in the next few hours, never quite knowing where he was or what was going on as everything was still blurry, though Chanyeol’s arms were always around him so he wasn’t ever all that worried. The only time he recognized anything was by smell before sight, when Chanyeol laid him down on their bed and the familiarity warmed Baekhyun’s heart and he sighed, relaxing into the mattress.

It took both Chanyeol and Sehun to change him without jostling him too much, and then they tucked him in and Chanyeol sat on the side of the bed after getting Baekhyun to drink some water and ran his hand through his hair until his fiancé fell back to sleep.

It didn’t take long.

Baekhyun _really_ woke up the next day around eleven am or so, as told by the clock on his nightstand, and was pleased to feel the sensations back in his fingers as he discovered he could move them. He experimentally clenched and unclenched his hand a couple times and slowly became aware of his toes wiggling in their warm socks and the light, steady breaths on the back of his neck and the arm wrapped tightly around his waist, holding him flush to the firm chest behind him.

He shifted and pressed himself tighter back into Chanyeol, wrapping an arm around the one on his waist and holding it tightly—he still felt a bit lost, and his everything seemed a bit fuzzy around the edges. He felt queasy when he tried to move his head, and with the movement came a sharp headache that caused him to shut his eyes in an attempt to ward it off. At least this time he had Chanyeol with him.

Baekhyun’s movement caused Chanyeol to stir behind him, and after he yawned and woke himself up he pressed a couple of light kisses to the feverish skin of Baekhyun’s neck.

“Good morning, Darling,” Chanyeol tightened his own grip and put one of his legs over both of Baekhyun’s, feeling his fiancé relax in his protective hold. “How are you feeling?”

“Sick.” Baekhyun croaked, his eyes still shut.

“Do you know where we are?” Chanyeol propped himself up on the elbow that was on the bed and leaned forward over Baekhyun, encasing him further and brushing Baekhyun’s sweaty bangs out of his face.

Baekhyun didn’t look up, leaving the left half of his face buried in the pillow. His eyes opened, though, and he blinked a couple times in the direction of the far wall as his eyebrows furrowed. Chanyeol stayed quiet, keeping his hand brushing through his hair as he let Baekhyun work through all that had happened the night before and watching as his eyes remained glassy and unfocused.

“Home?”

“Right,” Chanyeol smiled, relieved. “We came home late last night, after the club.”

“Club,” Baekhyun repeated softly. His stomach churned uncomfortably as he remembered the man who’d taken him upstairs, who’d undressed him and come so close to doing something else before Chanyeol and the others came in. Baekhyun instinctively curled in on himself, bringing his knees up and making himself as small and tight as he could. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Baekhyun nodded weakly and Chanyeol maneuvered himself over Baekhyun and off the bed, slipping his arms under his fiancé and carrying him to the ensuite master bathroom.

The second Baekhyun’s feet touched the floor his knees gave out and slammed into the hard tile of the bathroom, the fuzzy red rug surrounding the toilet doing nothing to dull the sting. Baekhyun’s hands grabbed either side of the toilet and he coughed, heaving a few times before the little alcohol he’d had the night before came back up. It burned his throat as he sputtered into the basin, fingers weakly clutching at the porcelain.

He felt Chanyeol kneel beside him, one hand rubbing comfortingly along his upper back while the other brushed his sweaty hair back from his forehead. His voice dropped as he murmured soothingly, the rumbling low and familiar and helping calm Baekhyun down.

Baekhyun heaved dryly a couple more times and, when he was sure he was done, ran one shaky hand back through his hair and turned his head to the side, not wanting to accidentally catch sight of whatever he’d had yesterday on the off chance it would trigger him again.

Chanyeol gently grabbed a hold of both Baekhyun’s hands, wrapping one arm around his back, and pulled him back to sit on his heels between Chanyeol’s legs so he could close the lid and flush the toilet.

“Hey, you’re okay.” He dropped a kiss to Baekhyun’s shoulder after wiping a tear from his cheek. Baekhyun didn’t even realize he’d started crying. “Come on, Darling, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Baekhyun was weak and his head lolled to the side, heavy, as Chanyeol helped him to stand up and then sit on the closed lid. Once he was sure Baekhyun wouldn’t fall over, the mafia boss took a few steps over and grabbed a washcloth out of the cabinet. He waited until the tap was warm before dampening the cloth and then moving to kneel in front of Baekhyun again, gently coaxing him to lift his head out of where it had been buried in his hands while he’d waited, hunched over his knees.

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” Baekhyun mumbled as Chanyeol swept the warm washcloth over his face, cleaning his chin and cheeks and then taking a clean corner to rub under his eyes. They were still glassy, tears building up in the corners again and he looked stubbornly at the ceiling. He didn’t want to cry _again._

“You had a big day yesterday.” Chanyeol reminded him softly. “You’re probably overwhelmed and still trying to process what almost happened last night. Besides, this is your body’s way of expelling whatever drugs are still in your system. It’s not your fault.”

“How much did I take?”

“A lot.” Chanyeol tossed the cloth on the corner of the counter and took both of Baekhyun’s hands in his, pressing a kiss to each set of knuckles before continuing. “Most of your drink was gone, and then there was at least another dose and a half in the syringe. Do you remember the syringe?”

“I didn’t see it.” Baekhyun shook his head after a moment. “I kept my eyes closed most of the time. But I—I think I remember feeling it.” Baekhyun’s eyes fell to his right forearm, covered in the thick black sleeve of one of Chanyeol’s hoodies, remembering the sharp point piercing his skin right before he went numb. “I couldn’t move, I could barely _speak_ , Chanyeol, I was so scared—”

“I know, Darling, and I’m _so_ sorry.” Chanyeol placed his warm palm on Baekhyun’s clammy cheek in an attempt to soothe him and keep him from panicking again. Baekhyun shivered for a second and shied away before tilting his head further into Chanyeol’s hand. “We were right there, but there was a—not important. I’m just glad we got to you in time.”

“Me too.” Baekhyun agreed shakily, nodding his head. He straightened up and reached forward, fingertips ghosting over a large bruise on Chanyeol’s left temple, one he frankly hadn’t noticed until just now. “What happened?”

“Someone found out that Jongin is one of ours, and they tried to keep us from getting upstairs. Zitao ended up being the first person in the room, he’s the one who ripped that asshole off of you. Shit, Darling, when I saw you just _lying_ there, my heart dropped.” Chanyeol sighed, rubbing his thumb once. “I’m never using you in a mission like that again.”

“Chanyeol—”

“That’s _not_ up for discussion.” Chanyeol cut him off sharply. Baekhyun nodded his head meekly a couple of times, and Chanyeol’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. Would you like to go back to bed? Eat something? Maybe take a bath?”

“A bath.” Baekhyun’s eyes perked up as soon as he heard the option, not even letting Chanyeol finish his sentence. “I feel filthy.”

Chanyeol chuckled, standing up and moving for the large tub. “Good. I want to get all traces of that asshole off you.”

Baekhyun requested a toothbrush before anything else happened, and Chanyeol handed it to him along with a cup of water before heading to the tub. When he was done, Baekhyun replaced the cup and his toothbrush on the counter and then leaned his elbow on the counter’s edge and watched as Chanyeol turned the water on, adjusting it and waiting until it was at a temperature he was happy with to put the stopper in and come back to his fiancé.

He helped Baekhyun stand off the toilet and pulled his clothes off him—he and Sehun had put Baekhyun in a t-shirt, a hoodie, heavy sweatpants, and tall socks. When Baekhyun asked why, Chanyeol simply reminded him that he’s no stranger to drugs and how to deal with someone coming down from a high. He figured Baekhyun would be cold. He was right.

Baekhyun _really_ loved him.

Baekhyun sank into the warm tub with a content sigh. He held his breath and submerged his head for a few seconds and wiped over his face when he came back up, pushing his wet hair back. When he opened his eyes he saw that Chanyeol had perched on the edge of the tub and was watching him relax with a soft smile.

“Any better?”

“Loads.” Baekhyun smiled and nodded. “But…”

“But what?” Chanyeol cocked his head to the side. “Do you need something?”

“You.” Baekhyun reached out and snagged the hem of Chanyeol’s t-shirt, dampening it and stretching it a bit. “Join me? I know it’s probably stupid but I feel safer when you’re with me and I kind of just want you to hold me right now and—”

“Hey,” Chanyeol laid a light hand on Baekhyun’s head and smiled. “I will. Sehun and Minseok are downstairs, so I’m going to go let them know that you’re starting to feel better and that I’m joining you for a bath and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Baekhyun bit on his bottom lip to keep from smiling too widely. “Okay.”

Chanyeol pressed a kiss to his forehead and then ducked out of the room, promising to be back as soon as possible and taking Baekhyun’s dirty clothes with him.

Baekhyun shut his eyes and forced himself to relax, completely submerged in the warm water and hazy steam filling the room. It helped, and Baekhyun didn’t feel the need to open his eyes when the door opened and the air shifted. He had learned how to hear Chanyeol and sense him, being able to place his footsteps and his breaths and feeling completely safe and at ease with him in the room. They _had_ been together for nearly three years, after all.

“Hey, Darling,” Chanyeol laid a light hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder a minute later. Baekhyun opened his eyes and smiled up at Chanyeol—who was now completely naked. “Scoot up.”

Baekhyun moved forward and the water raised a few inches as Chanyeol slid in behind him, falling back against his firm chest when he felt Chanyeol’s hand wrap around his waist and pull him back. Baekhyun’s head settled naturally in the divot of Chanyeol’s shoulder and his fiancé hummed, wrapping both his arms around Baekhyun’s waist.

“Are you still feeling alright?” Chanyeol whispered, not wanting to break the serene vibe he was finally getting from Baekhyun, but he couldn’t help it. He had to keep checking in on him. He had to make sure.

Baekhyun nodded and turned his head meeting Chanyeol’s eyes. “I am. I like having you with me.”

“I should hope so.” Chanyeol bent down and nudged their foreheads together. “We’re getting _married,_ Darling.”

“We are.” Baekhyun smiled—he was so _excited_. There was absolutely no one else he wanted to promise himself to for the rest of his life. “We need to go cake tasting soon.”

“I’ll check my schedule on Tuesday so we can get that done as soon as possible.”

“Tuesday?” Baekhyun’s eyes fell to a drop of water running down Chanyeol’s chest. He held out a finger and caught it. “Don’t you work Mondays?”

“Some Mondays.” Chanyeol nodded, shifting a bit and causing waves in the tub as he adjusted his hold on Baekhyun. “Not this Monday. I’ll stay with you.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Baekhyun shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Your people need you—”

“Junmyeon can handle them.” Chanyeol cut him off. _“You’re_ my top priority, Darling, always. I’ll stay with you for an extra day to make sure you’re doing okay. Besides, a day off won’t kill me.”

Baekhyun sighed and tilted his head back, raising his left hand to trace along Chanyeol’s jawline, smiling. He was so, _so_ lucky.

“I love you. And I brushed my teeth, so can I kiss you now?”

“You never have to ask,” Chanyeol whispered before closing the distance between them and slotting their lips together like the perfect puzzle they were.

Chanyeol pulled back when Baekhyun tried to deepen it, chuckling when he heard him whine. He leaned his forehead against Baekhyun’s. “I don’t want to wear you out.”

“You won’t.” Baekhyun insisted softly, though the slight strain in his voice was proving him wrong. “Chanyeol, please?”

“Once Junmyeon gives you a clean bill, we’ll go as far as you want,” Chanyeol promised cheekily. “Until then, no more than what you just got.”

“You’re the worst.” Baekhyun pouted and resituated himself in Chanyeol’s lap.

Chanyeol hummed in amusement, dropping a kiss to Baekhyun’s head and then propping his chin on it, tightening his hold and relaxing in the warm water.

 

* * *

 

“Mr. Byun?” Kyungsoo stopped in the middle of his conversation when he passed Baekhyun in the lobby of the top floor speaking to Luhan, Chanyeol’s personal assistant, waving his subordinates off and facing his boss’ fiancé. “What are you doing here?”

“Dropping off Friday’s report.” Baekhyun held up a manila folder and waved it before handing it to Luhan with a smile.

“Ah.” Kyungsoo nodded. _Friday_. Kyungsoo was one of the few who knew the full extent of exactly _how_ they got the information they did. “How are you feeling?”

“Loads better.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Not that Chanyeol’s letting me come back to work yet, though. He keeps insisting I ‘need the rest,’ like I haven’t gotten enough. It’s been nearly a _week_ and it feels like rest is all I’ve done.”

“He’s just worried about you.” Kyungsoo reminded him with a small smile. “We all were.”

Baekhyun looked down and bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling too widely, shrugging. “Well, I do still need to talk to him, and since you just came from that way, do you know if Chanyeol’s in his office?” He shoved both his hands in the pockets of his long coat and shifted his weight onto his left leg, leaning agianst the desk.

“I didn’t see him.”

“He’s finishing a meeting.” Luhan supplied.

“When will he be done?”

“20 minutes or so.”

“I’ll just go wait for him, then.”

“Is everything alright, Mr. Byun?” Kyungsoo tucked his folder under his arm and clasped both his hands in front of him.

“Everything’s fine. It’s a… _personal_ thing.” Baekhyun said with a small smile.

“Oh.” Kyungsoo bowed his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was a personal matter. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing serious.” Baekhyun waved him off with a small smile. “I’ll just head back, then.”

“Would you like me to tell Mr. Park that you’re waiting for him?”

“No.” Baekhyun shook his head and made his way down the hall. He turned around and winked. “It’s a _surprise.”_

Kyungsoo nodded and bowed before turning back to his conversation and continuing down the hall in the opposite direction of Baekhyun.

Baekhyun slipped into the large office and shut the door quietly behind him—the room was almost _eerie_ without Chanyeol in to liven it up. He stripped out of his coat and threw it over one of the armchairs in the seating area, one hand resting lightly on the back as he looked out the window.

It was midday but cloudy, casting the whole city in a dreary sort of glow. It matched Baekhyun’s mood, funny enough. He wandered over to the bookshelf and pulled out a decently sized novel, flipping through it while he waited for Chanyeol to come back.

Baekhyun folded himself in one of the armchairs by the window, throwing his legs over one arm and leaning his back against the other, and he was thirteen pages into the story when the office door was opened.

“—but you see, when I approve a plan I approve it for a _reason_.” Chanyeol’s eyes flickered over Baekhyun’s form in the chair before returning to the man he was speaking to. He snapped his fingers, getting the attention of the other man away from where he’d been looking at Baekhyun in confusion. “Are you questioning my ability to make these kinds of decisions?”

Baekhyun glanced up for a moment and then returned to his book, flipping a page. “No, sir, of course not.”

“Then why _exactly_ did you stray from the outline? I reviewed the reports, there was no reason to have to make an emergency executive decision. And you were nearly caught.” Chanyeol dropped his folders on his desk and sat back in his chair, a hard look on his face and his arms on the armrest, _exuding_ confidence and power. “Your reason?”

“I haven’t one that you’d approve of.” The man admitted, dropping his head.

“Then _I_ don’t need a reason to fire you.” Chanyeol picked up his pen and scrawled something on a small pink sheet his pulled out of the top right drawer of his desk. “Give this to Luhan on your way out so he knows to enter it in the system. And don’t try and avoid it, I’ll be speaking to him later. If you don’t then your punishment will be _ten times worse.”_

“Yes, sir.” The man bowed timidly and left the office when Chanyeol waved him off, shutting the door loudly behind him. Chanyeol watched him leave and then shifted his eyes to Baekhyun, who dog-eared his page and sat up.

“What are you doing here?”

“I dropped off my report from Friday.” Baekhyun stood up and wandered towards his fiancé. “I wanted to stop by and say hi.”

“Well, hi.” Chanyeol smiled and held out a hand as Baekhyun rounded the desk, taking Baekhyun’s and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “Cabin fever?”

 _“Please_ let me come back to work,” Baekhyun whined, dropping his shoulders and cocking his head to the side in a way he knew Chanyeol was weak for. “I’m going to go _crazy_ , I swear. _And,”_ Baekhyun held up a finger before Chanyeol could say anything, “I saw Junmyeon on my way up here. I’m completely clean.”

Chanyeol let out an amused breath. “Next week, then.”

Baekhyun beamed. “God, _finally.”_ He leaned against the edge of the desk, looking down at Chanyeol with a strange glint in his eyes.

Chanyeol narrowed his. “What are you thinking…”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Oh, just that I’m officially, completely clean now, according to Junmyeon. Which means I can do _this.”_ Baekhyun bent down and caught Chanyeol’s lips in a searing kiss, opening up when his lips were prodded by Chanyeol, who used his hold on Baekhyun’s hand to tug him into his lap.

Baekhyun let out a moan and wrapped both his hands around Chanyeol’s neck, lapping eagerly in his mouth. Fuck, he’d _missed_ this. And if the possessive way that Chanyeol’s hands were palming his ass, his fiancé had, too.

“It’s been so hard to not touch you like this, Darling,” Chanyeol whispered against the flushed skin of Baekhyun’s cheek, kissing it and then trailing his lips lower. “I missed seeing you like this.”

“You didn’t have to wait.” Baekhyun chided him weakly.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay first.” Chanyeol reminded him, licking his neck and then biting down in the way Baekhyun _knew_ led to sex. They knew each other’s habits and tells by now, and Baekhyun knew Chanyeol knew exactly where this was heading.

Baekhyun chuckled breathily. “Are you gonna fuck me right here? On your desk?”

“Do you want me to?” Chanyeol pulled back from his neck and thumbed over the bruise.

“The thought’s crossed my mind,” Baekhyun admitted with a shy smile when Chanyeol pulled away to look at him.

“You fucking _vixen,”_ Chanyeol growled playfully, throwing Baekhyun into a fit of giggles. “You want me to fuck you in my office, here at work, while _everyone’s_ here?”

“It’s your desk or mine.” Baekhyun pressed another kiss to Chanyeol’s lips. “Your’s is more convenient at the moment.”

He dropped his head to start kissing down Chanyeol’s neck while undoing his tie and the top buttons of his shirt, and Chanyeol let his head fall back and he let out a groan, his right hand flying out to the side to fumble for his desk phone.

“Luhan?” He tried not to let his voice shake as Baekhyun finally got his shirt open and kissed down his abdomen, climbing off his lap and dropping to his knees, skilled fingers undoing his belt buckle. “Something came up. Don’t come in my office until I say so.”

“Yes, sir.”

**Author's Note:**

> so this is just gonna keep going, honestly, i keep having little ideas for this series so. uh. anyway.
> 
> uni is still kicking my ass
> 
> i have no idea where i'm going with benefits
> 
> i'm doing g r e a t
> 
> ALSO THE COMEBACK?? I?? I'M GONNA CRY?????? i'm so fucking excited you guys oh my god seriously i want leather and tight pants and chokers and dramatic eye makeup and messy hair and motorcycles and illegal streetracing and them partying with beer bottles in their hands and getting in fistfights i want i want SM I W A N T
> 
> i hope you enjoy this at least a little bit (a little itty bitty bit? maybe?)
> 
> come say hi to me on twitter!! [loeysxdaisies](https://twitter.com/loeysxdaises)
> 
> curious cat for those of you shy little beans (i'd still love hear from you!) [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/loeysxdaisies)
> 
> i love you <3<3


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